David g



(No Model.)

D. G. WEEMS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

IIVVENTO/i', 760M 1 Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

I W/T/VESSES:

ATTORNEYS,

N. PETERS. mmmm m Wnhinglon, o. c.

Nll TATES Arnnr rides,

DAVID G. VEEMS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRO-AUTOMATIC TRANSIT COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,383, dated August7, 1888.

Application filed April 20, 1888.

T ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID G. WEEMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric- Railway Systems, of which the followingis a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1represents a perspective view of a train of cars having my improvementsattached. Figsr2, 3, and 4 represent detailed views, to be hereinafterfully described. Fig. 5 is a modification, to be referred to.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in electricrailway systems for transporting mail and packages at ahigh rate ofspeed over a line of elevated, surface,or underground tracks or rails,using as a motive power electricity, having the motor located in atraveling caror locomotive,having attached thereto a series or train ofcars,the said train being also provided with means for automaticallycontrolling, starting, and stopping itself, as more fully 2 set forth ina former patent granted to me January 17, 1888, numbered 376,567, onwhich patent, and the application filed by me March 20, 1888, Serial No.267,802, the present invention is an improvement.

My present invention consists, broadly, in the application to the carsof the train of folding, collapsible, or other wings, adapted to beautomatically thrown outward at predetermined intervals to check theprogress of the 5 train; and my invention further consists in theimproved constructions and combinations of devices,whieh Ishallhereinafter fully describe and claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to make 0 and use my invention, Iwill now describe its construction and indicate a preferred manner ofcarrying the same out.

In the said drawings, A represents a series of cars or vehicles of anyapproved form, although here shown as having a square, or approximatingsquare, cross-sectional configuration,the said cars being mounted uponwheels A, adapted to travel upon the main rails, and upper guide-wheels,B, adapted to engage the upper electrically-charged guiderail, as moreclearly disclosed in my said former patent, N0.

Serial No. 271,290. (No model.)

376,567; and, if desired, the said guide-wheels B may be provided with asuitable housing,C, the purpose of which is fully described in myapplication previously mentioned.

To the front and rear portions of the sides of the cars and thelocomotive, and, if desirable, at points intermediate of these front andrear ends, are secured wings D, of any suitable form, whose inner endsare held so as to permil; said wings to be thrown outward beyond theplane of the sides of the cars and their wheels,whereby said wings offersufficient resistance to the air to check the speed of the cars andfinally stop the train.

When not in use,the wings lie close against the sides of the cars andlocomotive, their free ends being held in close engagement withspringactuated plungers a, while their opposite or inner ends areconnected with a spring or equivalent device, E, the tendency of whichis to keep the wings close against the sides of the cars.

The plungers a have projecting pins or lugs 12, which are engaged by thelower ends of suitable levers, c, pivoted upon the cars, so that theirupper or opposite ends may be engaged by suitable fixed stops, F, in theroadway, preferably alongside of the tracks and at points a suitabledistance in advance of the station at which it is desired to stop thetrain.

Springcushions or other suitable devices,

d, are adapted to be depressed by the free ends of the wings when thelatter are folded in the positions shown in Fig. 3, and exert sufficientpressure against said wings that when the plungers are disengaged withtheir free ends the cushions force the wings away from the sides of thecars a distance sufficient to enable the air to pass behind the wingsand 0 throw them outward to the position shown in Fig. 2, in whichposition their inner ends serve as stops to relieve the strain upontheir pintles when pivoted wings are used, and also hold them inposition where they receive the full impact of the air.

Then the wings are thrown outward, the spring or device E is depressedor contracted, but steadily exerts a pressure against the inner ends ofthe wings and in opposition to the pressure of the air against the outerends or faces, but not sufficient to overcome the latter pressure untilthe speed of the train has been greatly lessened.

From this description it will be seen that when it is desired to stopthe train at a sta tion, the stop in advance of such station is set soas to be engaged by the levers c on the train. When these levers arestruck by the fixed stops, their lower ends throw the plungers out ofengagement with the outer ends of the wings, and the spring or cushioncl lifts said ends away from the sides of the car. The air now rushesbehind the wings and throws them to the open position in Fig. 2,in'which position they remain, retarding the movement of the train. Asthe train lessens its speed, the resistance of the air against the wingsis also lessened and the tension or spring of the device E overcomes theresistance of the air and automatically closes the wings against thesides of the cars, the plungers automatically engaging the wings andholding them in a locked closed position until they are again releasedfor the next station.

In some cases it may be desirable to incline the wings from the bottomupward and backward, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the currents of airstriking the wings will be discharged over the tops of the cars, andthus tend to more securely hold the cars to the tracks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railway system for trans porting mail,express-packages, &c., a train or series of cars provided with foldingor collapsible wings adapted to be automatically thrown out laterally toresist the movement of the train.

2. In an electric-railway system, a series of cars provided with pivotedwings, automatic holding devices, and pivoted levers, in combinationwith fixed stops on the road adapted to engage said levers and releasethe holding devices, whereby the wings may be thrown outward by theaction of the air.

3. In an electric-railway system, the combination, with fixed stops onthe line of road, of one or more cars having pivoted wings andtrip-levers, and plungers for automatically engaging the wings andholding them in a closed position.

4. In an electric-railway system, the combination, with fixed stops onthe line of road, and a train of cars having wings adapted to bereleased by said stops and intermediate de vices, and to be thrownoutward by the force of the air, of a yielding cushion beneath the wingsadapted to effect a preliminary outward movement of the wings.

5. The cars having the wings adapted to be automatically released andthrown outward, and a spring or device adapted to exert a pressure inopposition to the force of air and to automatically close the wings whenthe train lessens its speed.

v6. An improved electrierailway system, comprising fixed stops on theline of road, cars having wings adapted to be thrown outward by saidstops and intermediate levers and plunger-s, yielding cushions adaptedto effect a preliminary movement of the wings, and springs forautomatically closing the wings when the train lessens its speed.

DAVID G. IVEEMS.

Witnesses:

WM. M. PEGRAM, GEO. B. MroHAEL.

